At the end of this season, Gus needs to be told he has several options.
1) Bring in a new offensive coordinator with experience not affiliated with your coaching tree. It can be spread oriented if you like to expand on what you have already installed in the past. It is time for you to be a head coach and not an offensive coach.
2) If not, your employment will be terminated with five losses or more and fired with four losses if two of the games are against Georgia and Alabama. Going 0-8 against our two biggest rivals is not acceptable. Having witnessed first hand what occurred under Coach Gene Chizik, this should not come as a surprise.
3) We want you to decide Coach Malzahn what you truly believe is in the best interest of the program. If you are obstinate enough to stick with Rhett Lashlee or another OC that will only run your offense, then you will live and die by it during the 2017 season. The ceiling on this offense has been reached under the mutual guidance of you and Coach Lashlee. It is in the best interest for both of you to part ways.
Previous Mulligans:
We gave you a pass in 2014 because of the defense. You made a change at defensive coordinator, which proved to be a good move.
We gave you a pass in 2015 because of Jeremy Johnson, though there must be an issue with quarterback evaluation or development. The fear is it could be a combination of both.
You get a pass this season because of the late season injuries. Issues with the quarterback position surfaced again. We give you full credit with the way a healthy Sean White performed this season, but John Franklin III attempting only two passes during nearly 80 mop-up snaps proved to be a colossal lapse in judgment.
Even if you win your bowl game, your last three seasons will equate to a 24-15 record over the past three seasons. Auburn expects more than a win percentage of 61.5%. It is important you remember; Gene Chizik was fired for winning only 63.5 percent of his games.
You must make changes at offensive coordinator because...
1) It is wretched you run the ball 77% of the time on 1st down. Unless you are operating a triple-option offense, there is no reason for not attempting passes on 1st down 30-35% of the time. We understand you want to be a run-first offense and we support this basic concept. We only hope you comprehend you can still be a power running offense and pass the ball more often on first down.
2) It is ridiculous you have attempted only one pass to a TE during the last 25 games. Any offensive coach worth his salt attempts to utilize all of his skill players in their game plan. Forcing the defense to cover every aspect makes you less predictable.
3) It is distressing many of your passing plays are one man routes set up in the hopes a certain defensive back will react in the same manner from a previous play.
4) It is criminal you don't call better protection for your QB's facing third and long against blitzing defenses. This label was placed on you in 2009, and yet you have failed to recognize the issue. If you are going to place your quarterback in obvious passing situations as frequently as we have witnessed, at least give the young man a chance to throw the football.
5) Your pass-offense lacks slants, crossing routes, swing passes, and RB screens. What we have seen are WR-screens, outs, square-in, deep posts and wheel routes. Yes, there have been other routes, but you rarely attack the middle of the field vacated by LB's set on defending the run.
6) In six of seven seasons, your pass offense has attempted more passes on third down than first down. Once again, this is a strong indicator of how predictable your offense is to defend.
7) For a QB at this level to not have the ability to check out of certain situations shows how barbaric your offense can be.
8) You are now 4-11 against Power-5 teams, when your running game is held to 150-yards or less, scoring an average of 18 points. We believe in the running game too, but you have to know you cannot always rush for 250-yards week in and week out. Your running game has been tremendous but not unstoppable.
9) You are now 5-14 against Power-5 teams, when you are held to under 10 points by halftime, averaging just 15 PPG, when it happens. This clearly shows the lack of ability to adjust your game plan.
10) As a head coach, you are now 5-11 in games against Power-5 teams, when trailing at halftime and 0-6 when trailing by 10 or more points at halftime. Once again, this is an indicator of your failures to adjust.
11) During the 21 games your offense was held to just 6 points or less during the first period against Power-5 competition, your teams averaged only 22 PPG, winning only 9 of the 21 games.
12) While other offensive coaches change up their play-calling, schemes, and formations to regulate their offense during trying times, you only change out who is taking snaps at the QB position. For the record, this is not an "adjustment," it is called desperation.
13) We want to see an offense ready for action on opening day. Utilizing the first 3-4 games of the season to figure out what you have seems such a waste. Looking back at the Clemson and Texas A&M games, this team could have been undefeated before the injuries began to add up. Spring and Fall camps are when coaches should learn and discover their strengths and weaknesses leading up to the season.
We want you to succeed at Auburn because it means "WE" are successful. This is one of the reasons why you are one of the highest paid head coaches in the country. We believed in you enough to hire you on two separate occasions, as an offensive coordinator and now as a head coach. We gave you a substantial raise when you put a championship team on the field and have continued paying you well even when you struggled. You made a change at the defensive coordinator position when the job was not being done. It is time to recognize the job is not being completed on the offensive side of the football.
What you have accomplished since arriving at the collegiate level has been remarkable. You have blazed a trail for many high school coaches to break into the collegiate ranks. You implemented a new brand of offense that many copied because it was so successful. Your offense at Auburn has nearly rewritten the entire record book. For these accomplishments, we commend you. Long term success in coaching means the ability to adjust, adapt and change. What might have worked five years ago is no longer vogue, and has now become stagnant and anticipated. When the defense failed in 2014, you had the foresight to make a change. It was a sign of growth on your part as a head coach, and we are now reaping the rewards. Can you not see a change is needed on offense?
The time has come for you to be accountable at Auburn and for you to return to the University in the manner, it gave to you. If this is too much to ask and you elect to resign, please let us know, and we will write a check for half your buyout. Your job is to place your players in the best position to be successful, and you have failed the last two years. We have wanted this to be your driving ambition since your hiring, and now we demand it to be the theme moving forward. We expect you to be the head coach at Auburn and to demand the best from your assistants. The Auburn fan base has supported you, and we had hoped you would recognize and overcome your shortcomings. Change for anyone can be a complicated process, especially when it comes to the ego of a head coach at a major program. Next year will be your fifth season on the Plains, and we only request you do what is in the best interest of a very proud program.
We believe you can be a better head coach and we want you to succeed at Auburn. Recruiting has improved under your watch and it appears you have the defense pointed in the right direction, something Gene Chizik could not do despite being an accomplished defensive coordinator. Off the field distractions have been minimal and most importantly, your players have fought hard for you and your staff. The only glaring weakness right now looks to be the offense and the need to evolve. Changing and adjusting your offense will make for a better team and in the end, will make you a better head coach. Good or bad, everything that occurs under your watch, reflects the kind of head coach you are. We believe in you Gus, we just believe you can do more for the sake of the program.
1) Bring in a new offensive coordinator with experience not affiliated with your coaching tree. It can be spread oriented if you like to expand on what you have already installed in the past. It is time for you to be a head coach and not an offensive coach.
2) If not, your employment will be terminated with five losses or more and fired with four losses if two of the games are against Georgia and Alabama. Going 0-8 against our two biggest rivals is not acceptable. Having witnessed first hand what occurred under Coach Gene Chizik, this should not come as a surprise.
3) We want you to decide Coach Malzahn what you truly believe is in the best interest of the program. If you are obstinate enough to stick with Rhett Lashlee or another OC that will only run your offense, then you will live and die by it during the 2017 season. The ceiling on this offense has been reached under the mutual guidance of you and Coach Lashlee. It is in the best interest for both of you to part ways.
Previous Mulligans:
We gave you a pass in 2014 because of the defense. You made a change at defensive coordinator, which proved to be a good move.
We gave you a pass in 2015 because of Jeremy Johnson, though there must be an issue with quarterback evaluation or development. The fear is it could be a combination of both.
You get a pass this season because of the late season injuries. Issues with the quarterback position surfaced again. We give you full credit with the way a healthy Sean White performed this season, but John Franklin III attempting only two passes during nearly 80 mop-up snaps proved to be a colossal lapse in judgment.
Even if you win your bowl game, your last three seasons will equate to a 24-15 record over the past three seasons. Auburn expects more than a win percentage of 61.5%. It is important you remember; Gene Chizik was fired for winning only 63.5 percent of his games.
You must make changes at offensive coordinator because...
1) It is wretched you run the ball 77% of the time on 1st down. Unless you are operating a triple-option offense, there is no reason for not attempting passes on 1st down 30-35% of the time. We understand you want to be a run-first offense and we support this basic concept. We only hope you comprehend you can still be a power running offense and pass the ball more often on first down.
2) It is ridiculous you have attempted only one pass to a TE during the last 25 games. Any offensive coach worth his salt attempts to utilize all of his skill players in their game plan. Forcing the defense to cover every aspect makes you less predictable.
3) It is distressing many of your passing plays are one man routes set up in the hopes a certain defensive back will react in the same manner from a previous play.
4) It is criminal you don't call better protection for your QB's facing third and long against blitzing defenses. This label was placed on you in 2009, and yet you have failed to recognize the issue. If you are going to place your quarterback in obvious passing situations as frequently as we have witnessed, at least give the young man a chance to throw the football.
5) Your pass-offense lacks slants, crossing routes, swing passes, and RB screens. What we have seen are WR-screens, outs, square-in, deep posts and wheel routes. Yes, there have been other routes, but you rarely attack the middle of the field vacated by LB's set on defending the run.
6) In six of seven seasons, your pass offense has attempted more passes on third down than first down. Once again, this is a strong indicator of how predictable your offense is to defend.
7) For a QB at this level to not have the ability to check out of certain situations shows how barbaric your offense can be.
8) You are now 4-11 against Power-5 teams, when your running game is held to 150-yards or less, scoring an average of 18 points. We believe in the running game too, but you have to know you cannot always rush for 250-yards week in and week out. Your running game has been tremendous but not unstoppable.
9) You are now 5-14 against Power-5 teams, when you are held to under 10 points by halftime, averaging just 15 PPG, when it happens. This clearly shows the lack of ability to adjust your game plan.
10) As a head coach, you are now 5-11 in games against Power-5 teams, when trailing at halftime and 0-6 when trailing by 10 or more points at halftime. Once again, this is an indicator of your failures to adjust.
11) During the 21 games your offense was held to just 6 points or less during the first period against Power-5 competition, your teams averaged only 22 PPG, winning only 9 of the 21 games.
12) While other offensive coaches change up their play-calling, schemes, and formations to regulate their offense during trying times, you only change out who is taking snaps at the QB position. For the record, this is not an "adjustment," it is called desperation.
13) We want to see an offense ready for action on opening day. Utilizing the first 3-4 games of the season to figure out what you have seems such a waste. Looking back at the Clemson and Texas A&M games, this team could have been undefeated before the injuries began to add up. Spring and Fall camps are when coaches should learn and discover their strengths and weaknesses leading up to the season.
We want you to succeed at Auburn because it means "WE" are successful. This is one of the reasons why you are one of the highest paid head coaches in the country. We believed in you enough to hire you on two separate occasions, as an offensive coordinator and now as a head coach. We gave you a substantial raise when you put a championship team on the field and have continued paying you well even when you struggled. You made a change at the defensive coordinator position when the job was not being done. It is time to recognize the job is not being completed on the offensive side of the football.
What you have accomplished since arriving at the collegiate level has been remarkable. You have blazed a trail for many high school coaches to break into the collegiate ranks. You implemented a new brand of offense that many copied because it was so successful. Your offense at Auburn has nearly rewritten the entire record book. For these accomplishments, we commend you. Long term success in coaching means the ability to adjust, adapt and change. What might have worked five years ago is no longer vogue, and has now become stagnant and anticipated. When the defense failed in 2014, you had the foresight to make a change. It was a sign of growth on your part as a head coach, and we are now reaping the rewards. Can you not see a change is needed on offense?
The time has come for you to be accountable at Auburn and for you to return to the University in the manner, it gave to you. If this is too much to ask and you elect to resign, please let us know, and we will write a check for half your buyout. Your job is to place your players in the best position to be successful, and you have failed the last two years. We have wanted this to be your driving ambition since your hiring, and now we demand it to be the theme moving forward. We expect you to be the head coach at Auburn and to demand the best from your assistants. The Auburn fan base has supported you, and we had hoped you would recognize and overcome your shortcomings. Change for anyone can be a complicated process, especially when it comes to the ego of a head coach at a major program. Next year will be your fifth season on the Plains, and we only request you do what is in the best interest of a very proud program.
We believe you can be a better head coach and we want you to succeed at Auburn. Recruiting has improved under your watch and it appears you have the defense pointed in the right direction, something Gene Chizik could not do despite being an accomplished defensive coordinator. Off the field distractions have been minimal and most importantly, your players have fought hard for you and your staff. The only glaring weakness right now looks to be the offense and the need to evolve. Changing and adjusting your offense will make for a better team and in the end, will make you a better head coach. Good or bad, everything that occurs under your watch, reflects the kind of head coach you are. We believe in you Gus, we just believe you can do more for the sake of the program.
